Should You Sleep Naked?

When it comes to sleep, have you ever thought to yourself, ‘should I sleep naked?’ It might seem strange to those that believe pyjamas are an integral part of sleeping, but sleeping naked is a very popular way for Brits to sleep.

In fact, our UK Sleep Survey found that nearly a fifth (19%) of the nation likes to sleep naked. This goes to show that, for some, it’s the key to a good night’s sleep, which is just one of the reasons why you should sleep naked. Below, we will talk about why sleeping naked is good for you and any risks that may come with sleeping nude.

Let’s explore the benefits of sleeping naked!

There are many things we are willing to try in our pursuit of a good night’s sleep, from cutting out caffeine altogether, to changing our diets. But researchers at the University of Amsterdam have found that the best way to ensure good quality sleep is lowering your skin temperature. This means that by sleeping naked you will not only fall asleep faster but also means you’re less likely to wake up throughout the night.

It’s very likely that at some point or another you’ve woken up uncomfortably hot and need to kick the quilt off to cool down. If this is the case then an easy way to keep cool is to simply sleep without pyjamas. Another thing that could be making you too hot is heavy quilts, which aren’t conducive to a good night’s sleep.

Yes, you read that right. Sleeping naked will help your body stay cool, which in turn keeps your skin healthy. As we all know, trying to sleep in a warm room (above 21 degrees Celsius) can be a tough and uncomfortable challenge. That warmth disrupts the release of anti-ageing hormones – in particular, melatonin.

If your body is too warm (above around 21 degrees) when you sleep the production of melatonin and other growth hormones are reduced. These are important for keeping you looking as fresh and youthful as possible. So, sleeping nude can help keep your body temperature low enough to keep those wrinkles at bay. What’s more, these growth hormones also help promote bone density, build muscle, repair tissue, lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease, and promote a healthy weight.

The U.S National Institutes of Health found that sleeping naked and keeping yourself cool while sleeping encourages your body to create more brown fat. Brown fat helps to keep you warm by burning calories, which helps to boost your metabolism all day long. If you choose to sleep in clothes or sleep under heavy blankets you’re preventing the release of the growth hormone IHG, which helps to repair bones, skin and muscles.

So, skip the diet fads and sleep naked!

Another benefit of sleeping naked is that it will help to improve your blood circulation, which is good news for your heart and muscles. This is especially the case if you tend to wear underwear and pyjamas with strong elastic in them, as this will cling even tighter once you heat up in the night.

For women, sleeping naked and letting their vagina breathe at night can aid in promoting their vaginal health and avoiding infections. Sleeping naked is good for men as well, as it is a good way to increase male fertility by not wearing tight underwear, and the cooler air is an optimal temperature for testicles and sperm health.

As well as this, the superior quality sleep that you experience when sleeping naked will lead to a normalisation of your hormone levels, as well as increasing the release of both the growth hormone and melatonin, which stated before have anti-ageing properties, help promote bone density, build muscle, repair tissue, and even lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Keeping your heart and body healthy is one major reason why sleeping naked is good for you.

There’s a reason why cleaning your face before going to sleep is recommended and that’s because pores that can’t breathe will become blocked with dirt, creating spots. However, this is the same for all the skin on your body, which is why sleeping naked can help solve any problem areas you currently have. Your skin will be able to breathe, thus making it less likely that you will suffer from spots ridden skin.

Are there any risks to sleeping nude? Not really.

However, according to a viral TikTok video, you shouldn’t sleep naked and at least sleep with underwear on. Anthony Youn, M.D., a Michigan-based plastic surgeon shared that the reason sleeping naked is bad for you is more so about hygiene than anything else. He shares that the average person passes gas 12-25 times a day, and it can even happen when you are sleeping. And when this happens, you’re spraying tiny amounts of faecal matter, which means if you sleep nude you are potentially transmitting this bacteria and germs onto the sheets!

But don’t worry, the study that Dr Youn is talking about shows that this bacteria isn’t harmful to us while we sleep. So, if you are worried about this, then sleeping naked might not be for you, instead, opt for sleeping in your underwear. However, just reducing the number of layers you sleep in has a range of benefits that ensure you get a healthy good night’s rest!